Underwater breathing apparatus



Nov. 23, 1965 L. KALENIK UNDERWATER BREATHING APPARATUS Filed July 31, 1962 Fig. I.

Fig.2.

INVENTOR. LADIMUR KALENIK hisXTOl-TNEY United States Patent Filed July 31, 1962, Ser. No. 213,688

1 Claim. (Cl. 128-147) This invention relates to underwater breathing apparatus and, more particularly, to an underwater breathing device equipped with two mouthpieces fed by a single tank of compressed air so that in case of failure of the breathing equipment of one of a pair or group of underwater divers, he may share one of the monthpieces of the equipment of another diver embodying the present invention.

In the past, when an underwater diver was faced with the emergency of faulty underwater breathing apparatus, he would attempt to share the mouthpiece of another divers underwater breathing apparatus by taking turns in the use of such mouthpiece. This has not been at all satisfactory since either of the underwater divers tends to become panicky while lending the mouthpiece to the other diver from fear that the other diver is using the mouthpiece for a longer time than his proper share. Often times this has resulted in actual underwater combat between the two divers, each feeling that he must wrest possession of the mouthpiece from the other in order to survive.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned disadvantage of conventional underwater breathing apparatus by providing an auxiliary mouthpiece which may be used by another underwater diver whose underwater breathing equipment has become faulty, but without the necessity of sharing the conventional mouthpiece.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide, in an underwater breathing device comprising a single tank of compressed air and a regulator, a pair of mouthpieces, each having an independent respiratory system so that when a second diver uses the auxiliary mouthpiece, the difference in rhythm of breathing between the two divers will not cause interference of breathing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in an underwater breathing device, a dual construction of respiratory chamber, so that breathing through a mouthpiece connected to one chamber by one diver will have no influence on breathing through the mouthpiece connected to the other chamber by the other diver while both are breathing out of synchronism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following description taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, front elevational view showing a pressure regulator and portions of the air line and air tank;

FIG. 2 shows the invention as applied to a two hose regulator system, wherein the respiratory valve chamber is subdivided in half by a central partition, and a mouthpiece is attached to each half chamber, so as to enable independent breathing by two separate underwater divers using the respective mouthpieces; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIIII of FIG. 2.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, numeral 1 denotes a tank containing compressed air, a regulator valve 2 connected thereto for regulating the withdrawal of air from the tank and an air hose 16 having one end connected to the regulator and the other end connected as shown in FIG. 2 for inhaling air from the tank through one part of the air hose and for exhaling air from the lungs through another part of the air hose 18 connected as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 shows a second or auxiliary mouthpiece in a two hose regulator valve system, that is, one which the opposite ends of hoses 16 and 18 are connected to a conventional pressure reducing valve 2 such as described in Kimes Patent 3,018,790 and Mitchell Patent 3,028,859. In such patents, however, the ends of hoses 16 and 18 are attached to a single respiratory chamber having a single system of valves for supplying a single mouthpiece.

In accordance with the present invention, however, a central partition 19 is added which subdivides the valve 4 chamber into two completely separate chambers, each provided with separate valves, such as 22, 23 mounted on seats 20, and 21, respectively, in the top chamber and valves 22a, 23a in the bottom chamber mounted on seats 20a and 2117, respectively. To the upper half chamber there is connected a regular mouthpiece 17, and to the lower half chamber there is attached, by means of a coupling 24, a flexible hose 25 having its free end connected to a second or auxiliary mouthpiece 26.

Assume that hose 16 is the inlet hose attached to one end of the pressure reducing regulator, and that hose 18 is the outlet hose which is connected to the other end of the regulator. In operation, the underwater diver using mouthpiece 17 breathes in fresh air from hose 16 through inhalation valve 22 at which time, exhalation valve 23 is drawn in to the closed position. As the diver exhales, valve 22 will be forced closed and valve 23 will be flexed open so that air will be exhaled through hose 18 and into the regulator. Similarly, the second diver using mouthpiece 26, while inhaling will draw valve 22a open and will draw valve 23a closed, and while exhaling will force valve 22a closed and will flex 23a to the open position so as to exhaust air through hose 18, thence into the regulator (not shown). Thus, each diver can inhale and exhale as he pleases without causing interference to breathing by the other diver, who would normally inhale and exhale out of synchronism with the first diver.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an efficient underwater breathing apparatus which provides, in addition to the regular mouthpiece, a second mouthpiece which may be used during an emergency by another diver and which employs an altogether different respiratory system so that breathing by one diver will have no efiect on the breathing of the other diver; furthermore, I have provided an auxiliary mouthpiece and valve assembly which may be built originally as an integral, two mouthpiece unit, having separate respiratory systems.

While I have illustrated and described a single embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustration only, and that various changes and modifications may be made within the contemplation of my invention and within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In an underwater breathing apparatus including two hoses and a regulator connected to one end of the respective hoses, a chamber connected to the other end thereof, a tank of high pressure air connected to said regulator, a partition separating said chamber into two separate half chambers, an inlet valve and an outlet valve connected in each of said half chambers, a mouthpiece connected to one of said half chambers between said inlet and outlet valves thereof, and a flexible hose and mouthpiece connected to the other half chamber between its inlet and outlet valve, whereby two persons may 10 breathe independently without interference through said mouthpieces.

4 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 764,709 7/1904 Chapin et a1 128142 2,893,386 7/1959 Sajeck 128142 2,894,506 7/1959 Rose 128-142 2,931,355 4/1960 Miller et a1. 128142 FOREIGN PATENTS 793,452 4/ 1958 Great Britain.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner. 

